Sgt. Shaked Dahan, 19: Dreamed of defending the State of Israel

Sgt. Shaked Dahan, 19, of the 7th Armored Brigade’s 77th Battalion, from Afula, was killed by Hamas terrorists on October 7 and his body dragged into Gaza and held captive.

For more than six weeks he was considered a Hamas hostage, until the IDF declared his death on November 28, officially listing his status as a “fallen IDF soldier held captive by a terror group.”

In August 2024, his remains were recovered from the Strip and he was buried in Israel.

He is survived by his parents, Sigalit and Shimon, and his siblings Omri, Eden, Tomer and Ido.

He was remembered by friends and family for his guitar playing, love of soccer, being a fan of Maccabi Haifa and enjoying spending time with his family.

Shaked and his comrades were stationed at the so-called “White House” IDF post between Kibbutz Nir Oz and Kibbutz Nirim. With the start of the attack, they set out in their tank for the border, where they were attacked with RPG fire and explosive devices.

Shaked, his commander Cpt. Omer Neutra and comrade Sgt. Oz Daniel were killed and their bodies taken captive, while Sgt. Nimrod Cohen was taken hostage alive. Nimrod was freed from captivity in October 2025.

Shaked’s family was told in December 2023 that while his death was corroborated by intelligence findings, a funeral could not yet be held under Jewish law.

Sigalit Gal, his mother, stated that she would not observe the traditional seven-day Jewish mourning period until her son’s body was returned from Gaza.

“I salute you Shaked, my precious love. I fought my whole life to raise you with love, an excellent education, values, a worthy surrounding. I did for you what I needed to as a mother. I managed to keep you safe and protect you in many situations,” wrote Sigalit. “You’ve been taken from me forever. They took you and didn’t bother to return you, not even your body.

Shaked’s brother, Tomer Dahan, told Army Radio a day after his death was confirmed that Shaked’s lifelong dream was to defend the State of Israel.

“Shaked was a special kid, a guy whose one wish was to be a fighter in the Israel Defense Forces, no matter where. He achieved that dream, enlisted in the Armored Corps a year and four months ago,” said Tomer. On October 7, Tomer said, Shaked was with the rest of his crew in a tank when the terrorists attacked and he was killed and his body grabbed.

Tomer said his family tried to stay hopeful in the first weeks following the Hamas onslaught, “but as time went by, and as more and more details emerged, the picture started to become clear,” despite many questions remaining.

Shaked’s father, Shimon, eulogized his son in a synagogue near their home the day his death was confirmed.

“You were straightforward, anchored, honest, loved mankind, a noble soul,” said Shimon tearfully.

He recalled that three days before October 7, he sat down to eat with Shaked, and “he said ‘Dad, I won’t forget to buy your favorite cologne for your birthday, October 12,’ and I said ‘no, don’t bother, it’s too expensive.’ But I understand from your pure and wonderful love, you knew that you wouldn’t forget. My beloved, son, Shaked, you won’t be able to fulfill your love for me.”

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